Ashworth Cardiff Golf Shoe Review

Can Ashworth’s first spikeless golf shoe deliver more comfort on the course?

QUICK GLANCE
Ashworth has designed a comfortable multi-wear shoe that performs on the course as well as in casual settings, with jeans and chinos. Premium leather and a quality sole make Cardiff a joy to wear.

Ashworth Cardiff Golf Shoe Review

Ashworth, a company best known for making comfortable preppy shirts is actually a dark horse when it comes to making comfortable, classic spikeless golf shoes.

Ever since Freddie Couples introduced shirt hiking and laid back shoulder struggling into his pre-shot routine Ashworth Golf has been known for producing cool, casual and comfy golf apparel.

In 2008, TaylorMade Adidas Golf bought Ashworth and since then the brand has grown and brought out a surprisingly diverse range of products, including its first golf shoe, the Ashworth Cardiff.

Can golf shoes ease back pain?

Like most golfers, I suffer from lower back pain – in my case it’s not just mild stiffness and discomfort – I burst my L5-S1 disc in my mid 20’s and narrowly avoided having two vertebrate fused. I usually finish a round in pain and am sore for a couple of days afterwards.

When I saw that fellow back pain sufferers, Fred Couples, Justin Rose and Ernie Els had switched to the new trend of casual, spikeless “street style” golf shoe – for added comfort and pain relief – I wanted to see if spikeless golf shoes can actually help ease back pain.

From word of mouth, observation and research, Ecco’s Street Shoe looked hot favourite but when I tried them on they were broad and clunky, and expensive for a package that wasn’t delivering looks, style and comfort. The shoe that really caught my eye on looks was the Ashworth Cardiff.

Let’s set aside the manufacturer’s marketing playbook on materials, design, breathability and waterproofing and put them through the time honored test of wearing them.

Within 60 seconds of slipping on the Cardiff and walking around the golf shop I knew I loved them.

They felt comfortable, energetic, fit well and felt robust and I loved the grey leather, blue suede trim which make the shoe look a smart casual town shoe or hybrid shoe-trainer.

They go well with cream, blue, white, grey or black pants and look seriously cool with jeans.

At £70, the Cardiff represents a worthwhile investment. Ok, so they feel and look good but what about on course?

I had no qualms about putting this shoe straight on to play competitive golf. They didn’t need breaking in like a traditional leather spiked shoe and were immediately comfortable from the first tee.

The huge number of rubber dimples on the sole perform as well as soft spikes and I have only had one foot slip, on a tee that was especially wet after a downpour.

The Cardiff gives a feeling of being grounded and able to root in and draw energy from the ground up during the swing.

I noticed that I felt less sore during and after a round and wearing these shoes made it easier on the hamstrings, calves and lower back. There was still some soreness but nowhere near as much as when I was wearing the FootJoy DryJoy Tour with soft spikes.

2-Year Waterproof Guarantee

The shoes come with a two-year waterproof guarantee, although I have yet to play with them in the wet. Like most casual spikeless golf shoes they are better suited to good weather and firm ground, especially as they would be extremely difficult to clean if you played with them on in muddy conditions in the depths of winter.

Cleaning them is obviously more difficult than if you just took the black leather polish to your traditional leather shoes but they tend not to get too tired or dirty quickly anyway. I also love the idea that you can walk straight off the course and into the bar without changing your shoes, or even if you wish – hop straight in the car and drive off. They are truly versatile in passing as a casual sporty shoe both on and off course.

 After wearing these shoes for a few weeks I’m definitely a convert to the spikeless street golf shoe.

More and more people are turning to the casual shoe, like Ecco and FootJoy’s Contour Casual and hybrid M-Project shoe, but don’t throw away your leather spikes just yet – winter is just around the corner.

The Ashworth Cardiff is available in white, black and grey with blue suede trim. The shoes come with a choice of two pairs of laces and have a SRP (suggested retail price) of £70.